Know-How Exchange : Website Critique

Dear George,

Nowhere on your front page, near the top, do you say where you are or which audience you serve.

Buried in your "About" page you've got this: "Savvy Insider, when knowing first matters, is a daily, free newsletter about need-to-know information about Greater Vancouver and what you can do in Greater Vancouver. It is delivered to your in-box every morning."

Which is fine.

Take out the "when knowing first matters", because it doesn't really add any value, and you've got an instant positioning statement. Statements like this should never, EVER be buried.

They need to be up front so that the moment a visitor lands on your site they know what they're getting.

You mentioned that the Website is just an adjunct of the newsletter. No. It's not. Were it not FOR the site you'd have no newsletter, which means no sign ups, no readers, and no revenue from advertisers.

The Subscribe Yes No option HAS GOT TO GO. The "No" option gives me "We Understand. We're sorry to hear you won't be a subscriber. Perhaps another time." George, this isn't doing you ANY favours. Ditch it.

For any sign up, give on screen boxes for name and e-mail address (not as a pop up), and explain to people what they get for signing up and ask them to take action. You may also want to add some kind of ethical bribe to persuade people to sign up. Something I'll soon be doing on my own modest blog.

I'd urge you to ditch the black back ground, and to add video.

Some of your subscribers will want to read your posts, others won't. So, give the visual people video, and also consider adding podcasts.

The videos can be ultra short, in keeping with your text that explains: "Savvy Insider is short and snappy — never more than 250 words. Try the Savvy Insider. In 30 seconds it will open up a whole new world for you."

You can use Twitter and Facebook to drive traffic to these posts which ought to help with your sign ups.

Consider a different image at the top of the page. What about the Gas Town Steam Clock, or the sails on Canada Place?

And consider putting your links (currently buried at the bottom of the page) at the top of the page AS WELL. That way, people can see them, which means people will be more inclined to explore your site—thereby increasing the length of their visit.

You might also want to partner with local attractions, restaurants, clubs, bars, stores and so on to offer discount coupons that are ONLY available from your site and ONLY once someone's opted in to your list.

And consider a mug shot of you and a more open style of bio written by you, about you, one that uses words like "I","my", and "me".

This approach helps build rapport and works on the basis that the more people feel they know you and like you, the more they'll be inclined to trust you—and your opinion.

And depending on your daily or monthly traffic, consider select ads, either as small banners, or as textual links in the body of your posts. Both of which have the potential to generate revenue which you can then reinvest in online advertising (ppc), and offline ads in local magazines and newspapers.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Dear George and Jodi,

George, I'm glad my humble two cents' worth might be of value.

Jodi, apologies for cramping your style. We're of like mind on our points and I LOVE your suggestions, particularly #8.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Dear George,

Regarding the ethical bribe, it needs to be something cost effective for you but high in terms of perceptional value for your potential sign ups.

Although your list of ten best restaurants might be a nice thing to have, is it, in and of itself, ENOUGH of an incentive? Perhaps not.

Perhaps some form or EXPANDED guide would work better? Top restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, take out food, book stores, clubs, bars, trendy stores, dry cleaners, liquor stores, pet places, newsstand, libraries, gyms, spas, boutiques, independent record stores and so on. It could be the Savvy Insider's Guide to Vancouver. If you include ads and active links, you might be able to set up affiliate links with link owners so that you get a commission on any sales from their stores.

The great thing about this kind of product is that you produce it once and, as you'll deliver it digitally, your production costs are practically zero and you can offer it again and again, AND as you need to update it, you can send it to existing followers, AND offer
it as something new.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA